Like traveling in other parts of China, if you don’t speak any Chinese or have little knowledge of this country, please bring a phrase book with you. Though the attendants had some crash courses of English, it is surely not enough to cover different situations on board.

After going up more than 4500 meters above sea level, some weird things may happen at the altitude like ink-pens leak, vacuum-sealed food packages explode, some laptops and digital music players fail. So please get ready for what is going to happen on the way!

The trains may stop at some high-altitude stations with a fantastic view. Please keep warm if getting off the train. Catching a cold on the plateau will make you feel worse, even lead to a disastrous consequence. Please don’t run and get excited at the height, otherwise, you may feel very uncomfortable afterwards due to lack of oxygen.

Please take light, high-carbohydrate meals for more energy, and avoid alcohol as it may increase the risk of dehydration.

You can use sunscreen, sunglasses lip creams to protect your eyes and skin, for Tibet’s high altitude and the atmosphere allow the sun’s solar radiation to strike the earth with more intensity.

Please check with your doctor before coming to take the trip. Those who have heart problems, high or low blood pressure are not recommended to take the train ride and visit Tibet. For regular people, doctors may or may not suggest that you bring some high altitude medication based on your physical condition.

For more information, please visit the website at http://www.tibettraintravel.com/

Ricky Yang
A China travel specialist who has been in tourism industry for 15 years, He is now the managing director of the tour websites: http://www.easytourchina.com and tibettraintravel.com.

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The symbol of Tibet is the majestic Potala Palace perched on top of Marpo Ri Hill in the center of the city of Lhasa. It is the must-go of most visitors to Tibet. The Potala Palace is the religious and political center of Tibet and the former residence of the Dalai Lama. It is the most sacred place in Tibetans’ heart. Although place like Lhasa is definitely somewhere that tourists can not miss, this article is going tell you something about Tibet that is absolutely magnificent but out of the spot lights.

Among the snowy mountains and deep gorges between Tibet and Yunnan, there are some mysterious footpaths winding through the mountainsides, some are even carved into cliff face crossing one of the most dangerous terrain and uninhabitable area in the world. These footpaths have been called the ancient Tea-Horse Road. Hardly to be called a road it starts from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in Southwest China, runs along the eastern foothills and deep canyons of several major rivers, than heads into Tibet spanning the two highest plateaus of China (i.e. the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau), and finally reaches India, south of the Himalayas. But why have these ancient footpaths been called the Tea-Horse Road, who discovered this ancient route into Tibet, and what is the role it plays in the history?

It can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Tibetan people liked drinking Pu-erh tea (i.e. post-fermented tea compressed in thick rectangular blocks, flat squares, discuses or other shapes) because they ate high calories food such as butter, Tsamba, beef, and lamb but consumed very little vegetables. Pu-erh tea not only helped them to digest the heavy food but also offered their Vitamin need. Tibetans did not drink the Pu-erh directly but mixed the tea with the yak butter creating a salty and rich tea which is still common today. However the environmental situation of Tibet did not allow for the growing of the tea. Luckily, the neighboring Yunnan was an ideal land for growing tea, and they made Pu-erh tea in great quality. Those who could manage to transfer the tea from Yunnan into Tibet were going to make good money. On the other hand, Chinese army needed strong warhorses desperately, comparatively Tibetans had a strong mounted army and they also had access to Middle Asia, where possessed the best military horses in the world.

However, it was almost a mission impossible to exchange goods between Tibet and Yunnan, because any possible land connection between the two regions was almost cut off by the harsh terrain. The natural border between Tibetan plateau and Yunnan is formed of endless snowy mountains and deep gorges with steep cliffs which is tough for any land animals to cross the area. Finally the irresistible temptation of making huge profit had given the merchants enough courage to make their way through cleverly however dangerously.

If the mountains could not be climbed they went around them on the mountainsides. By following the rivers they could take advantage of the narrow river banks under the cliffs. In continuous and collective efforts in many years, the trading link was established. Through this route, Yunnan merchants traded Pu-erh tea for strong military horses from Tibetan, and resold these horses to the rest of China. On the other hand, Tibetan merchants also made good money by selling the tea to India and middle Asia. This is why this trading route has been called the Tea-Horse Road.

Therefore, the ancient Tea-Horse Road plays a similar role as the Silk Road, and is a significant part of the international trade in the history. Besides a road of wealth, it was also a road of cultural exchange that created a cultural bond between Tibetans and Chinese in the history, and facilitated the spread of Buddhism in China. Even today, when people are trekking on this ancient route into Tibet, they can still sense the spirit, the courage, and the wisdom devoted to this road, and marvel at this great legacy of our ancient ancestors.

This article is one of China Odyssey Tours’ serial introductions about adventurous China. Other topics include the “Simatai Great Wall, a real adventure tour”, “Home of Giant Pandas – Chengdu”, “Tiger Leaping Gorge and ancient town Lijiang”, “The legend of Dragon Back and the fairy tale of Third Sister Liu”. You would find the adventurous routes cover the above topics though China Odyssey Tours, or custom design a dream route exclusive to you.

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First off, foreigners must join a tour group in order to visit Tibet. Second, Tibet itself seemed much more developed than the places we had just seen in Qinghai and Sichuan.

For example, the hotels were much better and the roads were nicely paved and not pockmarked with potholes. Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet, seemed clean and orderly and caters to tourists with its many restaurants, sites and souvenir vendors. The scenery also seemed much larger: brighter sun, bigger mountains, more snow capped peaks and skies that are clear and blue. Temperatures can be warm during the day and then cold at night. The Tibetans that live here are different from the Kham Tibetans we encountered in Qinghai and Sichuan; the attire and language are very different.

Here’ my rundown of the top ten sites in Tibet.

1. Potala Palace

Located in Lhasa, this was formerly the residence of the Dali Lama. It’s the centerpiece of the city and Tibetans from all over come to do the walk around the outside of the palace in prayer. The tour brought us inside and we learned about its history. We were required to walk up many many flights of stairs along the outside wall to reach the main buildings at the top (not an easy task if not yet acclimated to Lhasa’s elevation). The views from the top of the palace are also spectacular as you can see all of Lhasa below with the snow capped mountains in the background.

2. Qomolangma, aka Mount Everest

Our tour took us to the Qomolangma base camp where we camped in a tent. The amenities were basically an outhouse, a stove that burns yak dung, beds with wool blankets and boiled water provided by the hosts.

The first day we were there we couldn’t even see the mountain due to cloud cover.

Miraculously, as we were leaving the next day the clouds cleared just enough to get some great photos of Qomolangma. The visit had its tough moments however. The base camp sits at 6000m elevation, and we hiked two km to the Rongphu Monastery which resides in a small village.

The monastery is known to be the highest monastery in terms of elevation. The hike was a little difficult for some of us due to the altitude. The night in the tent was also challenging because the strong gusts of wind and the cold temperatures. Our hosts had been diligently filling the stove with yak dung to keep the fire burning while we were awake. Unfortunately, nobody instructed us on how to keep the fire burning throughout the night, and it didn’t take long for the stove to burn out, the temperature going way down.

3. Jokhang Temple

Built in the fifth century AD, this temple in Lhasa houses Buddhist statues that were part of the dowries brought by the wives of Tibetan king Songsten Gampo.

Although many artifacts were damaged or destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, some of the oldest statues were hidden and therefore preserved.

Many Tibetans come to this temple to pray. People on the outside pray on the sidewalk. On the inside, Tibetans carry flasks of oil to help refill the burning oil candles. This temple is special to Tibetans and many come from very far to worship.

4. Barkhor Square

This is the centerpiece of the old city, and is adjacent to Jokham Temple. The square is full of vendors and shops selling traditional Tibetan clothes, jewelry and other goods.

We found it to be a good place to walk around and browse the many different things for sale. If you want to buy anything you must negotiate hard however.
The merchants can be aggressive and know how to get their price.

We also ate at a Nepalese restaurant here and found the food to be tasty and similar to Indian food.

5. Shigatse

Shigatse is Tibet’s second largest city. Tashilhunpo Monastery is in Shigatse and houses many statues of Buddhas and spirit towers. Spirit towers act as shrines and tombs for past lamas.

The monastery is traditionally the seat of the Panchen Lama who would rule over “back Tibet” or the western part of Tibet.

While at the monastery, we were lucky to get a rare glimpse of monks practicing a traditional spiritual dance. The dance is done to music from several long bugle-like horns.

6. Glaciers

During our many long drives around Tibet, we were able to see some spectacular scenery. Because we traveled through many mountainous areas, we were able to see many glaciers. Some even spanned several mountain tops.

One amazing glacier was at Milha mountain, where we stopped for a short break during one of our long rides. We were able to see the glacier up close. The place also must have been a very spiritual area given all the prayer flags.

I was surprised that even in a remote location, like near a glacier in a mountain pass, there would be beggars asking for money. The area must be well known for tourists stopping to take photos of the glacier. In any case, it helped that I had been carrying a bag of candy.

Whenever a child or elderly person approached, I simply handed out a piece of candy to each of them. Usually, they were happy to get something and went on their way. Always remember to hand out the pieces yourself. I made the mistake once of opening the bag and letting the kids pick a piece, only to have one boy nearly grab it all.

7. Gyantse

When we drove into Gyantse, something looked familiar. Along a mountain range that cuts through the city is a wall that slightly resembles the Great Wall.

Then, at the top of the mountain is a palace that seemed like a smaller version of Potala Palace. We didn’t get a chance to climb up to the palace, but instead visited the Pelkor Chode Monastery. Then we visited the Gyantse Kumbum Stupa, which is a six level tower with a golden dome on top.

The tower contains many rooms with old paintings. The name Kumbum means “100,000 images.” The view of the city from the very top floor is very impressive and above the doorway at the top is a painting of Buddha’s eyes. These eyes are symbolic and represent wisdom of Buddha.

8. Baji Cypress Reserve

One part of the tour took us to the southeast part of Tibet, known as the Nyingchi area. The landscape is much different from the rest of Tibet.

This area is lower in elevation and therefore is very green and full of trees. The Baji Cypress Reserve is a park that houses many 2000-plus year old trees with the oldest one about 2600 years old.

The trees are enormous, with trunks that are the size of houses. It reminded me of the giant sequoias in Yosemite except the trees here in Baji are cypress trees. Tibetans come to worship the trees, and there are many “hadas” (white silk sashes) that were hung in the tree branches. Apparently, the way to get them up there is to tie a rock to the hada and then toss it up into the branches.

9. Lakes and Rivers

Throughout the tour of Tibet, we’ve been amazed by the beauty and pureness of the lakes and rivers.

We visited Basomtso Lake in the Nyingchi area which had a beautiful blue-green hue. The lake has an island that has a temple built on it. Two bridges connect the banks of the lake to the island.

Another lake we visited was Yamdroktso Lake, which we passed after visiting Gyantse. The lake was equally beautiful, and some of the views of the lake from the hills made for great photos. The rivers of Tibet were also beautiful and many were rapidly flowing white water rivers such as Liyang river which we drove alongside on our way to the Nyingchi area.

10. People

One of the amazing things about the Tibetan people is how spiritual they are.

Every morning, hundreds of people will rise early to do the walk around Potala palace.

On the seven-hour drive back to Lhasa from the Nyingchi area we passed a family on a pilgrimage to Lhasa. It was a family of three, with one male pulling a cart with the family’s camping supplies.

The other two were performing the six-point prayer,where you start with hands together at your chest then move the hands to your head, back to the chest, kneel down, place hands on ground, extend body flat while lying face down, back to kneeling position and then stand up. One step is then taken and then prayer is repeated. Imagine how long it would take to reach Lhasa at that rate!

We had a great time in Tibet and saw so many beautiful and interesting things. The trip, however, was not without hardship. Luckily we were prepared for the altitude sickness, the cold evenings and minor inconveniences in this wild frontier. Although we had experienced Tibetan culture from our travels through Qinhai and western Sichuan, I definitely believe that visiting Tibet was well worth it.

Author: Greg Han – China hotels

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The first site we visited, and the one which I was most looking forward to visiting, was the Potala Palace. It stands in the center of the city of Lhasa and it took my breath away. I was surprised at how big the whole complex is. The bottom half is painted half, with red buildings on the top. It looks like a giant fortress. It was the home to Tibet’s Dalai Lama. It was packed full of people, but because they limit the amount of tickets sold each day, it was not overwhelming. I’m glad I had a guide, because if one was allowed to wander alone, I’m not sure they could have ever found the way out. It seems to just keep going and going. It is like a huge labyrinth. It is full of unbelievably beautiful treasures. Every square inch seemed to be decorated. Even the ceilings are incredible. Everything seemed to have secret meanings. I’m sure that place could be studied for decades and never be fully understood.

We also checked out Jokhang Temple. The tour guide told us the legend of its creation and I thought it was pretty bizarre. Supposedly the temple was built on a lake. They had tried to build the temple a bunch of times, but each time it collapsed. An educated woman said that the geography of Tibet was like an old woman, with the lake at the heart. In order to build the temple, she suggested that they kill the old woman by filling in the lake. They were supposed to use 1,000 sheep to carry the soil. Those must have been some pretty strong sheep! The temple is really cool though. It is actually a large complex, and it was filled with pilgrims that had come from all parts of Tibet. There is a long passageway that had paintings showing the temple being built. I tried to get some photos of it, but they didn’t turn out too well, too many people. After the temple, the guide took me to visit Barkhor Street. It wasn’t a far walk, because it is a round road that surrounds the temple. I had a lot of fun there. It was packed with tourists, Buddhist monks, and pilgrims. It was a really neat mixture of peoples. Many of the pilgrims were crawling on the ground. Apparently, on their pilgrimage from their homes, they walk two steps, then prostrate themselves on the ground, then walk two more steps, then prostrate themselves on the ground. This is repeated for hundreds of miles, until they reach Lhasa. Talk about dedication. Many others were spinning prayer wheels. The street was lined with stalls selling all sorts of stuff. There were some really beautiful arts and crafts, and of course some touristy things. Most of the objects for sale were Buddhist related. I saw a lot of pottery, and tea shops there. I think my favorite things they had for sale there were the Thangka paintings. These are religious Buddhist paintings. Some of them were really beautiful, and the details on them are amazing. I watched a man painting hair on a creature’s head. He was painting them one by one. I can’t imagine how long these paintings take to complete. My mother and I picked up a couple of these.

On my second day, we went to Norbulingka Park. Apparently it is the biggest garden in Tibet. This place was gorgeous. Even though it was filled with filled with people, it was actually quite peaceful.

The summer palace of the Dalai Lama. It was quite large, with a lot of water, and wooded areas. Every wall in every building was covered with murals. After the park, I went to the Sera Monastery. This place was packed too, but it was filled with monks in their red robes. They were having a debate. I was told that monks often gather here to have debates on the Buddhist scriptures. I couldn’t understand them, but it was really fun to watch them, and I could tell they really took it very seriously.

We saw the largest mountain in the world, Everest. It was really beautiful. It was covered with white snow, and seemed to be the pillar that holds up the sky. I took so many photos of it. It could be seen from almost everywhere we went. I don’t think I’d like to attempt climbing it, but I really did enjoy
looking at it.

I think my favorite part about visiting Tibet, was the evening we spent with a local family. Ours was a small group, so it was a really nice intimate visit. The family we visited lived in a traditional wooden home, which was beautifully painted. It was very colorful, and had religious decorations everywhere. It didn’t have all modern conveniences, but it was really beautiful, and I felt really comfortable there. They wore traditional Tibetan clothing. I asked if it was just for our visit, but they said that they wore it every day. The family was so sweet. I got the feeling that they were just local folks, and the language barrier didn’t seem to matter. Of course I did have my guide to translate, but I could tell that this was a truly loving family. The father gave us a tour of the home, while the women prepared dinner. It was all local food. At first I wasn’t sure I liked it, but after a few bites, they really seemed to grow on me. We had what they call Tsamba. It is a kind of dough made from barley. They had it plain, but offered some sugar and butter for me to mix with mine. I tried it both ways and defiantly liked it better when I added the extra ingredients. I was told that this was a staple, and was eaten at every meal. We also had beef stew, steamed duck, and beef jerky. I was offered Tibetan vodka, but I am not a big drinker, so I politely declined, and they did not push it. After dinner we had Tibetan butter tea. I had heard about it, and was told that most visitors don’t like it, but I liked it. It really filled me up. I can see why they drink so much of it. It really seemed to instantly warm me up and give me energy. I watched the woman prepare it, and asked her to teach, because I’d never seen anything like it. They put boiling tea, salt, and butter into a thin churn, and then churned it all together. It took some work, but was worth it. After dinner, they showed us some of their local dances. They wanted us to join in. At first, I wasn’t comfortable doing it, but seeing how much fun they were having I decided to give it a go. We were all laughing so hard, that we could hardly dance. I really hated to leave. It was a really wonderful experience.

I had been warned by many people about altitude sickness. I was concerned about it, but didn’t have too much of a problem. I did experience headaches for the first few days, but that was it. My brother on the other hand had it much worse than I, and had to miss our first day of site-seeing. Our guide suggested we drink a lot of water, and that really seemed to help a lot. Something to do with dehydration I think.

Tibet is truly an amazing place. We were only there five days, and I hated to leave. I felt I could spend the rest of my life exploring this amazing province. Sadly, with my limited writing ability, I cannot even come close to describing it. It felt so mysterious, yet welcoming. It is a place where ancient religious beliefs mix seamlessly with modern life. People live as they have for thousands of years, and it seemed to me that they do this by choice, not by necessity. Every place we went was packed with people, but it did make for some really cool photographs. The diversity of people there was really kinda cool. It was a wonderful experience, and I really hope I can return one day.

Tibet is a part of my adventure, below is the whole itinerary of my “China Adventure Tour”:

Beijing: Day 1: Arrival in Beijing. Day 2: Beijing city tour to the Forbidden City & Temple of Heaven Day 3: Drive to outskirt of Beijing; hiking the Simatai Great Wall. Day 4: Beijing Hutong tour; half day free.

Lhasa: Day 5: Fly to Lhasa; visit the Tibet Museum. Day 6: Lhasa city tour to the Potala Palace & Barkhor Street. Day 7 : Explore Lhasa Monasteries and visit Tibetan family. Chengdu: Day 8: Fly to Chengdu; try Sichuan Food Day 9: Chengdu city tour; visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base and observe the giant pandas up close.

Lijiang: Day 10: Fly to Lijiang; excursion to the Ancient Town. Day 11: Drive to the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge; hiking and overnight at guesthouse. Day 12: Continue hiking up to the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge; overnight at guesthouse.Day 13: Continue hiking up and get across the Yangtze River; drive back to Lijiang. Day 14: Lijiang city tour; half day free.

Guilin: Day 15: Fly to Guilin via Kumming. Day 16: Drive to Longji; walks on rice terraces. Day 17: Li River cruise to Yangshuo; bike ride in the countryside. Day 18: Guilin city tour; final Departure.

China Odyssey Tours specialize in providing package China tours, discount Yangtze River cruises and best rate hotels.

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Tibet is also known as the ‘Roof of the world’ as even the lower areas of Tibet are higher than mountain peaks in other regions of the world. Himalayas in Tibet is the source of some of the biggest snow fed rivers of the world. Yangtze, Indus, Ganges, Salween and Yellow river are some of the rivers which originate from Tibet Himalayas.

Himalayas in Tibet has got attractive landscape. It is home to the world’s highest glaciers which are found on the Northern slope of Himalayas and still remain unexplored by human being.

Climate of Tibet Himalayas

Himalayas in Tibet has the harsh climate. In summers it remains cool but in the winter season it becomes freezingly cold. The period of summers is very short and winters start from the month of October. The months of July and August are best to visit Tibet.

Flora and Fauna of Tibet Himalayas

Himalayas in Tibet are a habitat to various species of flora and fauna. The region boasts of around 790 species of vertebrates, 2000 species of plants, around 1000 herbal plants and 488 species of birds, 125 species of rare animal species and more than 2000 kinds of insects.

Bear, leopard, wild sheep, wild deer, Bengal tiger, wild yak, snub nosed monkey and wild ass are some of the species which are found in the forests of Tibet Himalayas.

Attractions in Himalayan region of Tibet

There are a number of tourist attraction destinations in Tibet. The plateau is a home to a number of beautifully decorated Buddhist monasteries, snow fed streams, lakes and hilly terrains.

Lhasa

Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet, located in the Central Southern part. It is also nicknamed as ‘Sunlight City’ and is situated at an elevation of 3,658 m above sea level. A number of Buddhist monuments can be seen in the capital city which was once the home of His Holiness Dalai Lama before exile. Lhasa is flocked by the nature lovers from different parts of the world to catch the glimpses of nature’s magnificent creation and to know about the Buddhist culture of the region.

Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash is the holy pilgrimage of Hindus and is known by the name of Khang Rinpoche. It is located in Tibet Himalayas in Western part of the country. Every year a large number of Hindu pilgrims from India visit Mount Kailash, which they consider as abode of Lord Shiva. With an altitude of 6.675 meters above sea level, Mount Kailash has remained a place of pilgrim from the past hundred of years. The beautiful Mansarovar lake is also located in Mount Kailash, which is also considered holy by both Buddhists and Hindus.

Shigatse or Xigatse

Shigatse is one of the major towns of Tibet Himalayas located in South-West at an altitude of 12,600 feet, where Yarlung Tsangpo river is joined by Nyangchu River. It is the main centre for distribution of animal husbandry and agriculture products. It is also famous because of the location of one of the age old beautiful Buddhist monasteries. One can purchase Tibetan handicrafts, corals, turquoise, daggers, Yak butter and Chinese porcelain from the local market.

Zhangmu

With an altitude of 7,000 feet above sea level, Zhangmu is also known as Khasa by local Tibetans. The hilly terrains of Zhangmu are heavily wooded by different species of high altitude trees and a number of gushing waterfalls make this Himalayan region in Tibet one of the most enchanting places to visit. It witnesses heavy snowfall in the months of winter.

For more information on Himalayas and Tibettan Culture visit: http://www.travel-himalayas.com/ and http://www.ladakh-kashmir.com

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According to Tibetan people, summer is the golden season to travel in a year. Recently, it is getting more and more overseas tourists to go to Tibet. They are not only craving for gorgeous sights and trek, but also searching for diverse culture tours. Tibet’s culture is visually stunning as its landscape, its Buddhist heritage, and its tradition and history rich. It is better to know the culture of Tibet in the face of the current pace of change.

You can see foreign tourists everywhere in Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and the Tashihungpo Monastery of Rikaze, etc. An American tourist Cathy, excited talking about her 5-day trip to Tibet, she said:” Tibet is the most mysterious place deep down in my heart as always. The natural environment and culture are unique on the planet. I was looking forward to visiting Tibet, but I was a bit worried about the security state in Tibet before. However, you won’t know until you are there. I went search engine and found out visit tibet travel and tours, after further enquiries they made a route out based on my interests. Thanks to them, a decent Tibet tour guide gives me amazing experiences.”

The assistant director of the Tibet Tourism Bureau Wei Min quoted: “Tourism of Tibet has once strongly impaired by the March 14th riots in Lhasa, but from the related statistics both the tourist arrivals and revenue between January and May in 2009 are higher than that in the same period of 2008. We are confident that Tibet’s tourism market is recovering from slack seasons last year.” “As far as I know, China has invested great amounts of money in ecological preservation for sustainable development, by the help of that we’ll see tourists pouring this year.” The general manager of VisitTibet.com said.

To learn much more about Tibet tour solutions, please visit http://www.visittibet.com where you can get more free information on specialized tours in Tibet, Nepal and Himalayas.

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